“Welcome back, Ziggy!” That’s Ziggy, the much-beloved, black cat that belongs to Crowley Lake residents Fred and Patti Stump. Ziggy disappeared early last weekend and still wasn’t back Monday morning. As any Eastside cat owner has learned, after three days of being missing, it’s rare for a cat to come home again around here. But on Monday morning, Patti Stump decide to try again, and tapped on the closed shed door of a neighbor’s place. A hearty and cranky “meow” answered her, and Ziggy was found. Awww. …

“Welcome back, Ziggy!” That’s Ziggy, the much-beloved, black cat that belongs to Crowley Lake residents Fred and Patti Stump. Ziggy disappeared early last weekend and still wasn’t back Monday morning. As any Eastside cat owner has learned, after three days of being missing, it’s rare for a cat to come home again around here. But on Monday morning, Patti Stump decide to try again, and tapped on the closed shed door of a neighbor’s place. A hearty and cranky “meow” answered her, and Ziggy was found. Awww. …

If you want to see something really, really, awesome, go take a look at the cool footage of a local weather balloon launched high into space above the Owens Valley this past weekend. Sent up by a group of Bishop students, the video of the balloon exploding high in exquisite slow motion high above the valley is downright amazing. Go to http://spaceweather.com and look under Oct. 11 in the archives. You can also see the CNN interview on youtube at:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBvXwaO6EUE. ...

There was a veritable family reunion of locals up at Rock Creek Resort’s Pie in the Sky Café Monday morning, on the (very sad) occasion of it being the last day the resort was open for the season. And it was downright snowy and cold up there, to boot. But that didn’t stop Francesa Dover, Darija Francesco, Bill and Connie Snyder, Patti Gilpin, Michelle Hoy, Carol Kavulla, our friend Waldo, Fred and Patti Stump with their niece Liz Bamberg, and Takaye and Bob Takamoto from coming up for that last, precious piece of chef Sue King’s famous pies. We’ll miss you, o’ sweet pear and cheddar. …

Speaking of a sad occasion, Lee Vining’s Mono Cone also closes this weekend, after seven straight months on non-stop hamburger flipping for owners Cara and Rocky Audenried, and non-stop culinary pleasure for the rest of us. So get that last strawberry-buttermilk-oreo milk shake with the whipped cream on top and that last pastrami burger with everything on it and those poppers with the scarlet jam and worry about those extra pounds after they are gone back to their winter home near Reno. …

Most locals traveling back and forth between the Bay Area in the winter have seen the Boomtown “all-you-can-eat lobster buffet” sign as they come down the snowy hill into Reno on I-80 East. That buffet is the brainchild of none other than the late Steve Jobs’ Syrian-born biological father, Abdulfattah “John” Jandali, who, along with Job’s biological mother, gave Jobs up for adoption when the boy was an infant. Jandali lives in Reno and is the general manager of the casino, and is credited with putting the casino on the map with his unique idea. Who could have guessed. ...

Fall is finally here, and the days are warm again, the leaves turning to gold, albeit three weeks later than normal. And Kittredge Sports owner Tom Cage is at it again, spouting weather predictions that will turn your hair grey. It’s worth noting he got this last big, wintery storm right within a few days — and he did so back in July when he predicted it. So it might not be wise to laugh at the long-time local. Here’s what he said this Monday about the coming winter: “One small storm mid of next week, with a complete change of weather pattern and wet and cold starting on 26 or 27 of the month. I don’t see why the (Mammoth Mountain) Ski Area won’t open by the end of October. I am still saying wet in Nov. and cold, very wet in Dec. and still cold, warm, dry and wonderful for Jan. and from Feb. 15 to March 19, look out, you are going to need those shovels!” …